YAMAHA MT10 DRAG BIKE

“TW Steel’s commitment to their Son of Time collaborations with some of Europe’s top builders looks to be gathering real momentum and there are already more bikes on benches, but this effort from Anthony Partridge is one of the boldest yet.”
Anthony Partridge, designer/builder at Goblin Works Garage, has joined TW Steel as the latest collaborator in the Son of Time Saga; combining forces to create a fearless timepiece and custom bike: the ‘Tempus Fury’. Envisioning a beast that could complement the beauties in the Son of Time stable, they turned to the lineup of longtime allies Yamaha and selected the uncompromising MT-10. Bringing with him the powerful vision and boundary smashing attitude he is known for, Anthony Partridge crafted something brutal, furious and outrageous from the Yamaha MT-10. TW Steel worked alongside him, creating a timepiece just as raw and classy as the bike that rides beside it. Well known for his eclectic mix of styles, Anthony Partridge went at his custom build with the energy that makes his work so unique. He stripped back the Yamaha MT-10 to its core, leaving the powerful inner workings intact but giving Anthony room to work his dark magic. He designed and built a one off custom composite body in an animalistic style that’s edged with elegance. The rear shock was replaced with an Öhlins TTX GP Rear Shock while the clipons, footpegs, grips, engine protector, fuel filter cap and levers were all swapped out for Rizoma pieces. GIA Engineering provided a custom, one off swing arm and the hardware was all supplied by Probolt. The ‘Tempus Fury’ also features Rotobox Boost Carbon Wheels and, Shinko Hookup Tires. The crowning glory must be the Custom Turbo from Ben at Extreme Creations. Extreme Creations are known for their boundary smashing mechanical engineering and this is no exception. With the work Ben has put in on this one of a kind turbo, the ‘Tempus Fury’ roars its way from being an animal to being a monster. The finishing touches include a devastating paintjob by Tom at Image Design Custom as well as engine tuning remapping, electronics and dyno testing completed by Paul at PCR Performance UK to bring the best out of the brute. The ‘Tempus Fury’ isn’t made to be preserved in a museum display, it needs to be out in the wild chewing up the asphalt. The TW Steel ‘Tempus Fury’ Timepiece follows the same path and goes for style and substance, power and presence. With a 48mm Maverick 316L Steel Case, sandblasted with PVD Black Coating and Screwed Crown, this is a big timepiece. Beneath the Hardened Mineral Crystal with Sapphire Coating is a Double Layered, Sunray Dark Grey Dial with Red Numbers and Indexes; proudly featuring a Dark Titanium Son of Time Logo. Powering the ‘Tempus Fury’ is the undeniably capable 6S21 Chronograph Movement from Miyota and finishing the look is a Milanese Bracelet with PVD Black Coating, Folded Clasp and Capsa System. This Special Edition Timepiece also ships with an exclusive extra strap, unavailable anywhere else; a Black Italian Leather Strap with Red Stitching, PVD Coated Dots and Clasp and Capsa System. The Son of Time ‘Tempus Fury’, Special Edition is available at jewellery stores for €499 and is delivered in a luxury box with a Son of Time Booklet. “The watch and bike share the same DNA,” said Anthony Partridge of Goblin Works Garage. “Both are powerful and classy. Even though we come from different worlds, we have a similar mindset when it comes to whether we should follow standard guidelines or break away to do something extraordinary. From the colour scheme, the pushers of the watch to the leather used on the bike and the watch, both creations influenced each other.” “When we discussed the idea, I knew it was going to be ridiculous,” commented TW Steel’s Senior Marketing Manager, Auke Possel. “To then actually see it in the flesh is quite overwhelming. This intimidating machine screams power and mayhem. Looking at individual parts, I love the swing arm and I think the leather of the watch strap Anthony incorporated in the seat is a great detail. Thinking about how Anthony transformed a crazy idea to this brutal machine makes me very proud.” For the full story on the builds please visit www.sonoftime.com

It’s often said that owners are like their dogs, I’ve seen enough combos to be in agreement. The same is also true for some bike builders. Anthony Partridge is a feisty dude with more energy packed into his squat frame than a classroom full of over Haribo’d toddlers. Not surprising then that this fire breathing drag bike is what rolled off his bench at Goblin Works Garage when Dutch watch brand TW Steel asked for a collab build.

TW Steel’s Auke Possel knew what he was in for though, telling us “We met at Wheels & Waves some years ago when Anthony showcased his Yamaha XV950 Playa del Rey. Riding this stunning machine around the mountains, we had a good time sharing ideas and just having fun. Appreciating Anthony’s crazy ideas and fearless attitude, we knew we were going to join forces at some point. So when we wanted to build a beast to complement our previous beauties, there was only one man I could think of.”

Partridge is no wilting wallflower and likes to impart his exuberant personality on the mechanicals of a project rather just tart-up a bike for the cameras, he wanted the already powerful 1000cc cross plane cranked four-banger to pack proper punch on the on the drag strip. After all, TW Steel work with properly fast folk such as Mick Doohan, Valentino Rossi, Emerson Fittipaldi and David Coulthard, so the Tempus Fury needed to top the time sheets. Extreme Creations from Australia shipped a turbo kit specifically developed for the MT10, hiking power to a proven 210 hp, running just 7 psi of boost. There’s plenty of room for scary figures with a few tweaks as the kit runs its own oil scavenge system to feed the ball bearing 320 hp Garrett turbo. PCR Performance dialled-in the conversion on their dyno confirming the numbers, so any excuses now are all the rider’s.

Seeing as the first few meters of a drag race are the most critical getting the power transmitted to the Tarmac is key for a decent 1/4 mile time so Nottinghamshire based GIA Engineering were called-in to fabricate a new extended swingarm. Super lightweight Boost carbon wheels by Rotobox from Slovenia look damn sexy and shed a bunch of unsprung weight – every gram counts when trying to defy gravity. Sticky Shinko Hook Up drag tyres are as soft a compound as is road legal and should last a whole day – at least.

The rear shock needed a huge range of adjustability as Partridge was in relatively new territory with a machine sporting this spec and geometry. An Öhlins TTX GP was chosen, not only for the obvious quality and alignment with Yamaha’s racing operations but also the easy access to a plethora of alternative springs – and technical support. When we spoke to Partridge recently he’d been experimenting with pull-down straps for the forks to eliminate see-sawing under hard acceleration.

Hopefully Tempus Fury will remain upright as Partridge attempts to dip below 9 seconds for the 1/4 mile but should he throw the thing on its side Rizoma engine protectors should save the expensive and un-repairable bits. Clipons, levers, pegs and the fuel cap are also from the same fat catalogue, fastened by Pro-Bolt hardware. Without much testing Partridge and the TW Steel team headed to Wheels & Waves to compete at the Punks Peak hill climb. With a kinked course, lined with barbed wire and complete with a stream running across the damp Tarmac Tempus Fury held its own against seasoned competition. Now back in Blightly we look forward to joining Partridge and seeing the bike do a proper straight run, fully dialled-in.

TW Steel’s commitment to their Son of Time collaborations with some of Europe’s top builders looks to be gathering real momentum and there are already more bikes on benches, but this effort from Anthony Partridge is one of the boldest yet.

- Words by Ross Sharp at the Bikeshed MC